Don't Mess with Numero Trece (PDN Series #1)

DMWNT 33

DMWNT 33: Almost over

The next day, Cassidy's body was found swimming with trash inside St. Benedict's trash bin. She was alive. Unconscious, gagged, filthy and smelly beyond compare, but alive.

Midas and Rami Monteban.

Maddilyn Longmeth.

Cassidy Laurent.

The three incidents shook St. Benedict to the core, purely because stealthy attacks, one directed to the most powerful students in the academy, is not their usual platter of violence.

After Maddilyn, the kings have become almost obsessed at the thought of catching the masked attacker. They dubbed him, the clown, after Cassidy's account.

Lalong dumami ang mga nagpapatrol sa bawat sulok ng paaralan, kombinasyon ito ng grupo ng mga estudyanteng nasa ilalim ng mga kings, at ng grupo ng mga gwardiya sa St. Benedict. Ala-singko pa lang ng hapon ay ganoon na ang tagpo sa main building maski sa dormitoryo. They concluded that the attacker makes his moves at night, it was easier because he would be protected by the dark so everyone must keep their eyes peeled.

___

To be perfectly honest, Trece had never done anything like this. Before Midas and Rami, she had never threatened anyone. She had not harmed anyone to a point where one would fear for one's life. And yet, as she found herself standing in Lily Cooper's room at three in the afternoon that day, she found the words, the actions, and the expressions feel... natural.

She didn't do anything special this time. Kumatok lang siya sa pintuan ng kwarto ni Lily at pinapasok siya nito. The room that greeted Trece was in every inch, a lady's room. Everything was in floral.

"So, I'm next huh?" Lily Cooper simply looked like she was train-wrecked. Nanginginig ang mga kamay nitong nakahawak sa kopitang may lamang pulang likido. It was wine. Bitbit niya ito habang nakaupo sa malaking couch na naroon sa kwarto niya. She hadn't had a moment's peace after discovering that the girl she's been calling fake and had been bullying ever since day one was one of them. Dilat ang mga mata nito pero tumatakbo sa utak nito ang iba't ibang senaryo. Sa anong paraan ba siya ililigpit ni Trece?

"Open your window," kaswal na sambit ni Trece. Hindi niya suot ang hoodie maski ang kan'yang maskara. As far as she was concerned, she was a guest. An uninvited but expected guest.

"Why?" Humigpit ang hawak nito sa kopita.

Hindi siya umimik. Nakatayo lang siya habang pinanood ang babaeng nasa mukha ang pinaghalong pangamba at takot.

Her stare was unnerving. Nanliliit si Lily sa ilalim ng titig ng babaeng kaharap. Pakiramdam niya'y ang maski katiting na pagkakamali ay hindi karapat-dapat gawin sa harapan nito. She's a numero. That fact itself ought to make her fall to her knees and beg for forgiveness. Ngunit isang maliit na bahagi ng isip niya ay nagdiriwang. She had made one of the seemingly untouchable numeros bleed. She had humiliated a numero. That's no small feat. Kasabay ng isiping 'yun ang pagbalik ng katiting na lakas ng loob sa sistema niya.

"Plano mo ba kaming ubusin?"

Tumingin lamang ito sa kan'ya, nasa mga mata nito ang pagkainip. Tila ba'y sinasabi na sinasayang niya ang oras nito.

"The window." Her lips barely moved as she said that. "Open it."

Napalunok siya, tila nawalan ng lakas ang mga daliring nabitawan niya ang kopitang hawak. Trece didn't even flinch when each silvery pieces scattered in the floor. Tumayo si Lily at tinungo ang bintana. It was a sliding glass window. Sumalubong sa kan'ya ang malamig na hangin nang mabuksan ito. Nasa pangalawang palapag ang kwarto niya, kalebel lamang ng mataas na pader na nakapalibot sa buong St. Benedict. For a moment, she just stood there, staring blankly outside her window, feeling the cool wind on her face from the nearby forest. For a moment, she felt at peace.